Testing shows presence of carcinogen in water in fracking zone

Thursday, September 27, 2012  

Testing of groundwater in Wyoming shows the presence of a carcinogen that's used in hydraulic fracturing, a controversial energy-processing technique that's commonly known as fracking.

But only one well was tested this time and it showed a lower level of benzene than an earlier test that included two wells, the Associated Press reported. Nonetheless, the Environmental Protection Agency said the new results were "consistent" with the old ones.

The Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe collaborated with the state of Wyoming, the EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey on the test, which took place at a site near the border of the Wind River Reservation. The wells are located by a creek that crosses the reservation.

The USGS helped collect the data but did not interpret it, according to a press release.

Get the Story:
New Wyoming tests show less benzene in fracking zone (AP 9/26)
Lots of new data, no analysis from Wyo. gas field where EPA linked fracking to water pollution (AP 9/26)

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